Cranberry Orange Scones

Cranberry Orange Scones are tender and lightly sweetened, with an orange glaze drizzled on top. You’ll love how easy this scones recipe is to make!

I love starting the day with something sweet. If you do too, you’re going to want to make these golden brown, tender, lightly sweetened Cranberry Orange Scones asap.

What are Scones?

Scones are a type of quick bread, similar to biscuits. They don’t have yeast in them, so scone recipes don’t take as long to make. Instead of yeast, scones are made with either baking soda or baking powder.

Utah’s been having a bitter cold winter this year. The other day, when I was out running errands, I stopped by a local sandwich/bakery, Kneaders, to buy a hot chocolate to warm up.

The line to order is right in front of all the sweet treats and I couldn’t resist buying one of their cranberry orange scones to enjoy with my hot chocolate. I loved the combination and couldn’t wait to go home and recreate the scones at home for my family.

How are scones made?

Scones are super easy to make, the key is to not over work the dough so they’re tender.

You can cut the scones with a biscuit cutter, but the easiest way to make them is to shape the dough into a circle and cut the dough into wedges.

The glaze adds a little extra sweetness and a brighter orange flavor to the cranberry orange scones. And I think it just makes them look more fun.

Icing:

1 cup powdered sugar

2 tablespoons orange juice

Instructions

Preheat oven to 425°.

In a large mixing bowl, stir together sugar and orange zest until well blended. Add flour, baking powder, and salt; whisk to combine. Use a pastry blender or your fingertips and quickly cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse meal. Stir in heavy cream with a rubber spatula or fork until dough begins to form, about 30 seconds. Add cranberries.

Dump dough on a work surface and knead dough just until it comes together. Pat the dough into an 8-inch circle. Use a pizza cutter or sharp knife to cut dough into 8 wedges.

Place wedges on an ungreased or parchment lined baking sheet. Brush the top of the scones lightly with milk or cream. Bake 10 to 12 minutes, until scones are firm to the touch and the tops are light brown.

Gosh, I’ve never made, nor have I ever eaten scones. My mother in law raves about them. You sure couldn’t go wrong with that flavor combination. How great is it to make something in your own kitchen that you enjoy at a restaurant? That looks like the perfect pick-me-up with a cup of hot chocolate. 🙂